COVID-19: This is our generation’s test

Firefighters are resilient and will survive this ultimate challenge

It seems each generation is tested. Some is good and some is bad – but it is still a test.

My parents lived through the Great Depression and then World War II. Their generation rolled up their sleeves. Sixteen million men and women put on uniforms while others supported the war efforts at home in the manufacturing plants. I am always amazed at the numbers that were generated: 297,000 aircraft, 193,000 artillery pieces, 86,000 tanks, 2 million army trucks and 17 aircraft carriers – all in four years.

Other generations have been tested in a good way, including President Kennedy’s challenge to land a man on the moon within 10 years. Many of our relatives were members of that workforce of over 400,000 that landed two men on the moon in 1969.

The COVID-19 pandemic will be the test of our generation – a test that will not only place a hardship on the United States, but the rest of the world. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

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The COVID-19 pandemic will be the test of our generation – a test that will not only place a hardship on the United States, but the rest of the world. How we handle this crisis will define our generation for years to come. Many lessons have been learned from past pandemics, including the loss of over 50 million people worldwide from the Spanish flu. Lessons will be learned from this pandemic also.

At the frontline of this trial will be firefighters and EMS personnel and their chief officers. The vast majority of what the fire service does is respond to medical calls. The fire service is the largest provider of EMS in the United States. Therefore, along with many others, we will be the soldiers doing battle against this invisible enemy, not from a remote command center, but on the frontlines.

What people look for during times of crisis is leadership. Fire chiefs must demonstrate leadership during these harsh times. The citizens and your firefighters are looking to you for that leadership during uncertain times.

Do not add to the panic in your community and department, as we have seen with others on TV who are rushing to the stores for toilet paper and anything else that can fly off the shelf. We should exude calmness and civility. If the leadership is in panic, it does not bode well for those who look to us during difficult times.

This will not only be our generation’s test, but a test of those at the frontline – firefighters and EMS personnel. I am confident we as a people and as a fire service will come through this challenge. We are a resilient people.

About the author

Gary Ludwig serves as the fire chief of the ISO Class 1 Champaign (Illinois) Fire Department and as the president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. He has 41 years of fire, rescue and EMS experience. Ludwig started his career with the City of St. Louis at age 18, rising through the ranks and retiring as the chief paramedic of the St. Louis Fire Department after 25 years of service. He has also served 10 years as a deputy fire chief for the Memphis Fire Department. Ludwig previously served on the EMS Executive Board for the IAFC for 22 years, with six years as chair. He has a master’s degree in business and management, and has been a licensed paramedic for over 39 years. Ludwig has written over 500 articles for almost every professional publication in the fire and EMS profession. He has also been invited to speak at over 250 professional EMS and fire conferences or seminars. His latest book is titled "Fully Involved Leadership." Ludwig has won numerous awards, including those for heroism, the James O. Page EMS Leadership Award (2014) and the IAFC EMS Section’s James O. Page Achievement Award (2018). He is a member of the FireRescue1 Editorial Advisory Board. Connect with Ludwig on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.